'Floods this time worse than in 2022'

The plain land and low lying areas of the hill town Khagrachhari are now under water and the fields and fish ponds are inundated with heavy rains and water coming down from the hill slopes.

Homesteads in extensive swathes of land are submerged. Communication between the district town and other areas has been severed. The elderly residents of the town say they haven't seen such bad floods in the last 22 years.

According to local resident of Khagrachhari  and veteran journalist Tarun Kumar Bhattacharya, this is the worst flood that he has ever seen. He said, "The last time he saw such a bad flood was in 2002. This flood is much worse and widespread than that."

Officer on duty at the Khagrachhari meteorological observation centre, Abdur Rahim, said 152mm of rain had been recorded over the past 24 hours. With the heavy downpour of rain, the Chengi river in the district is flowing 38cm above the danger level.

Over the past 24 hours news has been coming in of fresh areas being flooded. Thousands of families in 9 upazilas of the district are trapped in by water. Alongside heavy downpours, water came rushing down from the hill slopes early around 5:00 in the morning today, Thursday.

This inundated low-lying areas of the town. There have been landslides too in various areas. With water rising in Lemuchhari of Mahalchhari and a stretch of 24 miles under water, communications have halted along the Khagrachhari-Rangamati highway.

Earlier, on Tuesday afternoon low-lying areas of Khagrachhari had been inundated too. But when water receded on Wednesday, people returned to their homes from the shelters. They have been trapped in by water again from Thursday morning.

Mohini Debi Chakma (67) of Narankhaiya, Khagrachhari, said, "I have not seen so much flooding in all these years. Water had never entered the house."

There have been landslides near houses in Nancy Bazar, Shalban, Kalabagan and Cumilla Tila areas of the district town. There have, however, been no deaths in these landslides. The district administration has opened shelters for the families living at the foot of hills and in flooded areas.

Khagrachhari deputy commissioner Md Shahiduzzaman said, 99 shelter centres have been opened in the district for the flood-affected people. The upazila nirbahi officers have been instructed to arrange drinking water and food for them. Four hundred tonnes of food grain has been allocated for the flood-affected persons in the districts. Efforts are being made so everyone remains in safe places and receive food.

Supti Chakma of Khabangpuria said, "A few days ago water had entered our house. Then on Tuesday again. Till today there is knee-deep water in the house. With water rushing down early in the morning, we couldn't salvage anything. Food and everything is under water. We have been affected by floods three times this year. We didn't get relief any time. No one even inquired after us."

A visit to various areas around Khagrachhari town Thursday morning saw Chengi river, Khagrachhari stream and the Modhupur stream waters rising to inundate Muslimpara, Kaladeba, Battali, Ganjpara, Shantinagar, Futbil, Milanpur, Collegepara, Mastarpara, Narankhaiya, Khabangpuriya and several others areas. Roads and educational institutions in the area have been flooded too. Following incessant rains, the water of the river Maini has increased, inundating the Dighinala-Langdu road's headquarters and roads in four areas including the bridge there. Road communication between Longdu and Bagharichhari of Rangamati and the rest of the country has been cut off. Merung Bazar is under water too.

Khagrachhari pourashava administrator and additional deputy commissioner Nazmul Ara Sultana said, arrangements have been made from the outset to provide the flood-affected people with dry food and drinking water. And 18 shelters have been opened in the pourashava for the flood-affected families. More shelters will be opened if needed.
Around 30 villages including Merung, Babuchhara and Kabakhali unions of Dighinala have been flooded due to continuous rains. Dighinala upazila nirbahi officer Md Mamunur Rashid said, 25 shelters have been opened in the flood affected areas. Over a thousand people have taken shelter. Communication has been severed between Dighinala and Rangamati's Baghaichhari and Longdu upazilas.

Meanwhile, with the waters of the river Chengi and of the streams Pujgang and Logang increasing, Chengi union and Latibon union's lowlands are submerged. Panichhari Chengi union parishad chairman Ananda Joy Chakma said, "Water never entered my union before. This time water has entered a few villages. As most of the houses are of mud and fencing, they have collapsed. So far 63 families have been affected."